At the signing in Bangkok, William Heinecke, chief executive, Minor International, said: “We are very pleased to be partnering with Nakheel for the new Avani hotel at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai.

“Having launched our upscale Avani brand in the region last year, we are delighted to continue the brand’s expansion in the UAE with this new hotel and we are confident that the brand will prove successful in this key market.”

Avani currently has 17 properties in operation in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Seychelles, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and the UAE and MH has plans to grow the brand across its global footprint.

Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah added: “Today marks yet another key milestone in our commitment to enhancing and diversifying Dubai’s hotel offering by bringing new, reputable international hospitality brands to the emirate in line with the government’s vision.

“We are delighted to welcome Minor and the Avani brand to Ibn Battuta Mall, which, with over 20 million visitors a year, is one of Dubai’s leading tourist destinations.”